South America Hunting: Argentina’s Big Game Animals

Article written by: Jeremy Merchant

Over the last handful of decades, Argentina’s hunting scene has seen tremendous growth. This growth can be attributed to the loosening of government regulations regarding international hunters operating within Argentina and animal populations that continue to be a problem for local businesses.

In fact, a large motivation in the expansion of hunting as a national enterprise for Argentina is a balloon in the local dove population. Argentinian farmers have been waging a war for their crops against these birds; the farmers have gone so far as to deploy poison on their farms in an attempt to get the population under control. The planting of poison has proven to have unintended side effects, however, as other birds and mammals are falling prey to the traps. Allowing the use of the farms as hunting land and allowing the hunting of these birds has emerged as an effective way to curb the dove population while sparing other non-targeted species.

Years down the line, Argentina’s hunting scene has expanded to include a variety of other birds and mammals for hunting besides just the dove. These days, big game in particular has become a focal point for hunting in Argentina, which is driving international hunters from all over the globe to South America. The area boasts specialties, such as the humongous horns of the Water Buffalo to one of the largest deer species in the world in the Red Stag, so hunting big game in Argentina has become immensely popular. Below, we will take a quick look at some of the variety in big game that’s available to hunt in Argentina right now!

Big Game Species

Red Stag

As just mentioned, Red Stag is one of the largest species of deer on the planet and can be hunted in Argentina. Originally introduced to the continent in 1906, Red Stag has slowly expanded to have populations in multiple countries around the Andean foothills including Argentina and Chile. They were imported with the expressed idea of hunting; their meat has been established as a local food source.

These animals usually weigh between 300 and 500 pounds and have antlers that will typically grow to have six points, although some stags can get up to 15 points! These animals grow and shed their antlers each year. Their large bodies, large antlers, and loud, bellowing call make these majestic animals a joy to hunt.

These hunts typically take place between March and July and typically involve the spot and stalk method on behalf of the hunter. These animals will remain a popular hunting target amongst locals and tourists alike due to their great size, fantastic trophy, and tasty meat.

Water Buffalo

Water Buffalo are flat out one of the largest animals in South America. These giants were originally introduced to the Amazon River basin in 1895 and have expanded over the continent in the last century. In fact, as of 2005, estimates of the water buffalo population in the Brazilian Amazon alone reached about 1.6 million individuals. Game ranchers in Argentina have embraced these animals and rear them personally for hunting. Similar to Red Stag, Water Buffalo have become an extremely popular hunting target for locals and internationals alike.

The size of these animals is hard to understate. Weights can range between 1500 and 2200 pounds, which leaves 200-400 pounds of usable meat. What’s more, Water Buffalo boast the largest set of antlers in the world with a maximum of 1.2 meters between the outer edges of their horns.

Blackbuck

For another incredible big game hunt in Argentina, try targeting the Blackbuck, which is sometimes referred to as the Indian Antelope. These antelope were introduced to Argentina in the early 1920s and quickly rose to prominence as hunting trophies due to their jet-black coats and straight, spiral horns that can measure up to 28 inches!

These mammals are the smallest of the bunch discussed so far weighing in at around 90 pounds, but make up for a lack of size with blistering speed. Blackbucks can run as fast at 50 miles per hour, which would make it the second fastest animal on the planet. Due to this speed, many hunters prefer the still-hunting method where they wait for the animal to walk by while grazing on its own accord. Hunting of this animal typically takes place between March and November.

Dove

While small in stature, the scene for hunting doves in Argentina is huge so they deserve a shoutout as being one of the best species to hunt in Argentina. There is no shortage of these birds, so much so that their gigantic populations cause their own problems. This makes your hunting go the extra mile of benefiting local farmers in Argentina while providing great meat and fantastic taxidermy trophies. 

One of the best parts of dove hunting is that they can be targeted year-round in Argentina. This gives the hunter tremendous flexibility in when they want to take their hunting trip. Plus, their large population numbers make them easy to find and easy to shoot. These birds are a real problem for locals and you can be part of the solution while having the time of your life!

So Yeah, Argentina!

Argentina has rightfully earned a reputation for being a fantastic place to hunt. The views are outstanding and their list of animals to hunt is extraordinary! The big game animals in particular are tremendously popular for the uniqueness of the hunt and trophies, plus the fantastic meat! To take care of supplies and logistics, getting an outfitter for your big game hunting trip in Argentina is almost a must. Start planning your big game hunting trip to Argentina today to see what all the hype is about!